WASHINGTON — Madeline Mann, possibly the tiniest surviving baby ever born, is now a healthy 14-year-old. Madeline had the lowest birth weight — 9 ounces — in medical records and was born only 27 weeks after conception. Madeline was 13 weeks premature and was delivered by cesarean section. She was so tiny because her mother had pre-eclampsia, a condition that causes dangerously high blood pressure and threatens the life of both mother and unborn child.
Madeline is short for her age, just 4 1/2 feet tall, but physically normal. She has a 3.7 grade average out of a possible 4.0 and plays the violin. She spent her first 4 months on a ventilator and her eyes were damaged, but treatment has now given her perfect vision.
Dr. Jonathan Muraskas, who helped deliver Madeline, wishes to caution parents about the odds of survival. He said, “A baby today born at 23 weeks, that's about the lowest limit of viability, that translates to about a one-pound baby. The survival rate is about 5 percent to 10 percent.”
All the more reason to hail Madeline Mann's survival as a victory for life and a sign of hope for premature babies and their parents.
See also:
Smallest-ever Baby Is Now 14, Happy and Healthy
(This update courtesy of LifeSiteNews.com.)
